Pataki Secrets
by Lauralogan80
Summary: Take a look behind the closed doors of the Pataki household. From Bob and Miriam's first encounter up...
1. How Helga Learned

How Helga Learned . . .

"I want to go to the library," six year old Helga said.

"Not right now, Helga honey, I just . . ." Miriam put her head back down on the table and went back to sleep. Helga frowned then went to find her father.

"Daddy, can you take me to the library?" she asked.

"Huh? What's that?" He asked, not even looking away from the T.V.

"The library," she repeated.

"Not now Olga,"

"It's Helga dad,"

"Right, right. I'm busy. Go read something from your mum's room or Olga's. CRIMINY! WHAT IS THIS MORON DOING!" he shouted at the T.V.

Helga stood there for a second then turned and went upstairs. She stood in front of Olga's door for a second then reached out and touched the door handle. Did she dare enter the sacred space that was her sister's room?

Yes. Yes she did. And she entered.

Her sister's room was as immaculate as always. Perfume and makeup neatly on her dressing table, bed neatly made. Books neatly placed on the bookcase in order of size. Helga made her way over to it and looked at the titles. She pulled out a book then noticed there was an other behind it. She pulled it out then looked again as another book fell down. She pulled out more books to find a stash of books hidden behind the front row. Why would her sister hide books?

She looked at the title in her hands. 'Lolita'. She turned it over and read the back. Her eyes widened a little and then she put it on the floor beside her. She picked up another. 'The Life and Times of Fanny Hill'. She took out more. 'Lady Chatterly's Lover', 'Peyton Place', 'The Song of the Red Ruby' and lastly 'The Well of Lonliness'. Helga looked at the books in front of her. There must have been a reason for her hiding them. And she couldn't wait to read them and find out what…


	2. Make Me a Promise

Make me a Promise.

Helga turned around, taking great pleasure in the sigh her dress made. It was finally happening. She was marrying Arnold. Her beloved. The boy, the man she had craved her whole life to belong to. Long ago she had given her heart to him, and no one ever stood a chance to take it from him. She sighed and dropped down, watching as the big skirt puffed up. She smiled.

"I don't believe I have ever seen you smile so much," Lila said, smiling at Helga in the mirror. Once Arnold had left the picture, her and Lila had developed a sort of truce that turned into a deep friendship.

"I can't stop smiling!" Phoebe exclaimed. "I'm so happy for you!"

She threw her arms around Helga's shoulders. Then she looked at the door as a knock came. The tree girls looked, then Lila went and opened the door. Bob Pataki stood there.

"I want to speak to my daughter alone," he said quietly. Helga's heart stopped. Lila and phoebe looked first at each other then at Helga. Then quietly they left, closing the door behind them.

Then quickly putting their ears to the door to listen.

*Bob looked at his daughter who was sitting in front of him, in white, her blonde hair curled, half piled up, the other down, a veil sitting just under the bun part.

"I'm proud of you girl," he said in a gruff voice. Helga kept her face still, though inside, although she wasn't happy about it, her heart soared. Her dad was proud of her. She looked down and smoothed her hands over her dress and reached up to touch her hair.

"Thank you dad," she said, finally looking up at him.

"I want you to make me a promise," he said suddenly. Helga cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" she asked carefully.

"I want you to promise me you wont make Alfred responsible for your happiness," he said.

Helga blinked and tilted her head to one side. "Huh? And his names Arnold, Dad."

Bob smiled. "I know." Helga shook her head. "Don't make him responsible for your happiness," he repeated.

"What do you mean? Isn't that what a guys supposed to do?" she asked.

"Yes and no," Bob sighed. How do I explain this? He asked himself. "You need to realize that he wont and cant always make you happy. There'll be a time he'll let you down," he looked at her. "You need to remember he's human."

"I know he's human dad," she said.

"He'll make mistakes," he said. "It's the mistake your mom and I made. I promised to make her happy. I made her so many promises, Helga. And I worked so hard to keep them that I let her down. I let you down, and to a degree, I let Olga down," he looked down, ashamed. "I was so busy trying to make you girls happy that I made you miserable," his voice broke.

Helga sat quietly, watching this man who had always been gruff, and strong, try to keep himself from crying. She got up and walked over to him.

"It's okay dad," she said, giving him a hug. "You tried. I get that."

"I always knew you were the strong one," he said. "Your sister . . . She was always sensitive. Crying at the drop of a hat. You had to indulge the girl. And I did. Made a mistake there,"

"Really, dad, it's fine,"

"Please, just remember, he will stuff up. Don't hate him for it. Don't go silent on him. Talk. Your mother and I, we never talked. That was our problem."

"Me and Arnold talk dad. a lot."

"Good. He's a good boy. Sorry, young man. And I wish you two the best."

"Thankyou dad," Helga said. "And I promise,"


	3. Frustration

Frustration

"Criminy, Miriam. How could you miss your court date!" Bob roared, as the police officer came in to take his wife away. Again. He'd come home to find her passed out drunk on the kitchen table.

Helga was watching T.V (thank god the girl could look after herself). Miriam was supposed to be in court for a drunk driving conviction. She'd been released on bail and the trial date was today.

"I don't know. . .I guess I just…" she trailed off.

Bob shook his head. The door shut and he turned around to look at his youngest daughter, sitting stony faced staring at the T.V.

"Poor mommy!" his eldest sobbed loudly. He stared at her. As much as he loved Olga, she could really grate on his nerves. He looked again at Helga, who looked at him, indifferently.

"What?" she snapped, getting up and storming past him, up the stairs.

"Oh, Daddy!" Olga wailed again.

Miriam and he had made a pact years ago when they first discovered Olga was coming along. They'd never hit their children. But sometimes….

Bob sighed. What happened? When he and Miriam met it was happy and exhilarating. Miriam was a challenge. She was smart and bubbly. Popular and out-going. He'd fallen in love with her faster than a led balloon would fall to the ground.

Bob's parents were old fashioned. Every night his mother would lay out his fathers clothes for the next day. She ironed everything, including his underwear. She stayed home and dinner was always cooked. Unlike his father, his mother didn't learn English. She came over from Switzerland, married his father, had him and that was that. There was no kissing and hugging in his household growing up. Affection did not flow easily. And it had left it's mark on Bob.

His father had also been a harsh man. "A woman's place is in the home," he would say.

Bob always thought his father was so backward in his thinking. He sometimes wondered how Miriam had gone from top of the class in business, to alcoholic housewife in such a short time.

The alcohol he could explain. It was a secret kept from everyone, save him and Miriam.

Olga had a faint memory of her mother being pregnant, but always put those memories down to Miriam being pregnant with Helga.

Helga wasn't around at the time…

He was snapped out of his musings by footsteps pounding down the stairs.

"I'm going to Phoebes," Helga said, walking out the door.

"Be back by seven!" he called out, only to be greeted by the slamming of the front door.

"Oh, I just put dinner on, and Helga is going to miss it!" wailed Olga.

Resisting the urge to snap at her, swallowing down the frustration, Bob grunted and sat down to tune out the world with T.V.


	4. What Wonderful Luck

What Wonderful Luck!

'What a rotten day,' Bob Pataki thought, walking out into the sunshine. It couldn't possibly get worse. He was hung over from the party the night before, and had no idea where he was, or even how he'd got there. He had a lecture today, he knew that. And he was in a small town, looking for a pay phone to call someone to come get him. 'I've gotta stop drinking,' he thought, as he crossed the road. There was a screech of tyres and he looked up to see a blue car skidding to a stop, but not before it knocked him to the ground and everything went black.

*Miriam sat in her car stunned.

"Oh my god! Miriam you killed someone!" her friend screamed, jumping out of the car. Miriam slowly got out of her car and walked around to where the guy she'd hit was lying on the ground. People were starting to gather around.

"I'm so sorry!" she cried, bending over the man to see if he was still alive.

"Someone call an ambulance!" Miriam heard someone yelling.

She watched as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at her.

*"Whaaa?" he moaned.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I hit you with my car, oh my god, I'm so sorry!" a beautiful blonde with bright blue eyes sobbed. Bob blinked again. She kept going out of focus. Then she was pushed aside and a mans face came into view before Bob blacked out again.

Waking up the next day, bob stared at the ceiling dazed. He looked over to see his mother sitting in a chair by his bedside, eyes red rimmed and puffy. His father stood stony faced looking at him disapprovingly.

"This never would have happened to me. In my day we were gentleman, not crazed rockers thinking of nothing but plonk, sex and drugs. What were you thinking you fool? You think I spend money on your education for you to go running around the country side getting run over by cars?" his father asked.

Bob laughed. Why, he had no idea, but the look on his father's face was classic. So was the tone of his voice.

"No, you just knocked girls up in the back seat of the car, right Pa?" he said, laughing.

Hi father's face turned purple. "Hey, hey, hey, I'm saving your sorry carcass here, boy, you show me some respect!" his father growled.

"When you earn it," Bob replied.

"You'll never be any good. Your gonna be just another loser in the world," his father said, and walked out of the room. Bob looked at his mother.

"I'm sorry, mum," Bob whispered quietly. She just leaned forward and kissed his head.

"Your father loves you," she said. "He just doesn't know how to show it."

They both looked to the door when they heard a knock and saw a young woman standing there with a card, chocolates and soda.

"Um, hi," she said. "I'm Miriam. I, uh, I'm kinda the one who hit you with my car,"

Bob looked at her and something in him warmed. She looked like she was ready to cry. Then he noticed her get nudged in.

"I am so sorry about my daughter," a man said walking in. "I've paid your medical bills. My lawyer will be along in a minute to have you sign a legal document saying you wont sue my daughter," he carried on talking to Bob's mother who stood there not understanding a word he was saying, while Bob just stared at Mirium.

He was in love . . .


	5. Letters

(For Nep2une)

A/N: These are all in no order, and a bit all over the place, sorry. I do short snippets because with two kids it's hard to do a full on story J

Letters

Lila lounged around in Helga's desk chair, occasionally swinging around, while typing away at the laptop. She was bored out of her tree! But this project had to get done.

"Can you get me my pens? They're in the top drawer," Helga said.

Lila opened the top drawer and grabbed the box of coloured pens when she saw something odd. A letter addressed to Arnold. 'That's weird,' she thought. 'Arnold said he's never had a letter from her before.' Lila looked over at Helga, then in at the letter. Then tossed the pens to Helga and closed the drawer. She sat there quietly, watching as Helga blanked out words on the "letter" for their history project. Then she opened the drawer again and lifted it to see a few more letters. She picked them out and folded them and slipped them in her bag. She then looked at the bookcase next to the desk and saw a folder with nothing written on it to say what was in there. Again an odd thing, as Helga had a habit of dating and naming everything. She looked again at Helga, who was now back to her and talking to Phoebe, then she pulled it out. It was heavy, whatever was in it.

More letters! To Arnold! There had to be at least a hundred, give or take. Lila shook her head. Why hadn't she been sending them?

Well, if Helga wasn't going to send them, Lila would. She slipped the folder into her bag, hoping Helga wouldn't turn around.

"Oh, gosh!" Lila exclaimed, jumping up and heading to the door. "I forgot I was going to cook dinner for dad tonight," she said opening the bedroom door. "I'll see you girls tomorrow." And just like that she was gone.

Along with the letters.


	6. How Did He Know?

How Did He Know?

17 year old Helga snuggled into the warmness that was next to her. He legs was wrapped around another leg, her arm over a chest. She could smell shampoo that wasn't hers in hair that didn't belong to her. She breathed in deeply, then rolled onto her back and stretched. Suddenly she heard her name whispered, but didn't want to wake up yet. Then she felt movement next to her.

When she felt a weight above her, her eyes slowly opened to see Arnold reaching over the top her. She could see his chest and felt . . . 'oh my god!' she turned red. She'd heard it happened to guys in the morning, but part of her wondered if it was just a myth boys teased each other with. Turns out it wasn't. Arnold's torso started moving backwards and Helga quickly closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. She felt him get up and leave the bed, then the room. She opened her eyes again, and slowly looked around.

She had shown up last night, and had quietly snuck into his room. He'd left the window unlocked for her (he knew she was coming). Then she's waited till he came in. they kind of just stared at each other for a moment, then came the awkward greetings. Then the laughing and joking. He snuck her to the bathroom and stayed in there while she showered in case his parents came up to use the bathroom. He'd promised not to look. Then he quickly wet his hair, while she stood in a towel, then checked to make sure the hall was clear, then waved her back into his room. They had a quiet laugh about it, then he tossed her a shirt to sleep in.

There was something exciting and fun and naughty about this. Helga had run off from home, and texted Arnold. He'd told her to come to him and she had. She thought on the way how silly it was that he could say jump and she'd say "how high?" and do it, but hey, that was love right? So they'd agreed to keep it a secret, at least for the first day or so. Arnold had admitted that he wanted her to himself. He knew that once his parents knew she was there, they wouldn't get time alone.

She climbed out of the bed and looked for her backpack. She had only grabbed a few clothes, t-shirts and shorts and a pair of jeans. And a dress. She had just taken off Arnolds shirt and was standing in the middle of his room in her bra and panties when his door suddenly opened and he came rushing in.

"My dad's coming up. Hide!" he whispered loudly.

Helga looked around the room quickly, but couldn't find anywhere. He didn't have a wardrobe in his room! So she did the only thing she could think of. She hid by the door in the hopes that when his father opened the door he wouldn't think to look behind it. The knock came, and Miles opened the door and stepped in.

"Breakfast is ready," he told his son smiling. "Don't take too long." he was quiet a moment then said, to their shock "You too Helga," then left and closed the door.


	7. The Beginning of Sorrow

The Beginning of Sorrow

Olga sat in a corner sulking. 'Stupid baby', she thought. Not only had this baby been consuming her parents time and energy, it was a boy. She kicked the leg of the chair in front of her. She got up and went to go upstairs. 'I wish it had never been born!' she screamed in her head. All it had been was "Robert Jr. this, and Robert Jr. that," and Olga had had enough. She wanted to scream "What about me!" but didn't. It wasn't in her nature to scream. Instead she quietly climbed the stairs and poured herself a bath. At eight she was known to be very smart, but didn't really apply herself. She'd never had to try. Things just came naturally to her, so she never strived to hard to be the best. But now she knew, if she wanted her parents attention, she'd have too. She put some bubble bath in and watched it fill up.

She turned it off, and got in, slipping right under the water and relaxing. She hated the baby. Not at first though. At first she'd been excited. But then it had come home. She wasn't allowed to hold him. She wasn't allowed to go near him when he was sleeping. She wasn't allowed to play the piano, or music, or do anything that could wake the baby, or make the baby cry. 'I wish it would just go away or dissapear!'

*A couple of nights later she woke to yelling and banging and crying and running feet. She laid in bed a little bit then sat up. It was her parents. Something was happening. She got up and went to the door.

"What's going on?" she asked, sleepily.

"Go back to bed, Olga," Bob snapped then ran the her parents bedroom. She could hear her mother crying and then a paramedic walked out of her parents bedroom.

Then a sound she would hear in her nightmares for the rest of her life. A blood-curdling scream that turned her entire body to ice, the hair on her body stand on end. It died down to one long, tortured "Nooooooooooooooooooo!" moaned with heartbreak and despair.

Olga closed her door, terrified of what she had seen and heard. She ran back to bed and hid under her covers. For some unknown reason she started to cry. And then fell to sleep.

It was the next morning when she woke up and saw Mrs. Vitello cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

"Where's mommy and daddy?" she asked.

"You father is at the hospital with your mother and Robert, poor wee soul," she said, then stopped what she was doing. "Olga, sit down. I need to tell you something,"

Olga sat down at the table. Mrs. Vitello put a plate of toast and eggs in front of her, then sat down across from her.

"Robert won't be coming home," she told Olga.

"Why?" she asked.

"Some people just aren't meant to stay in this world for long. The lord knows why," she said shaking her head. "When your parents come home, Olga, you have to do your best to be a good girl and not make them cry anymore than they're going to." With that she got up and went to do the dishes.

"So Robert is gone?" Olga asked. "For good?"

"He's in the Lord's arms," Mrs. Vitello said quietly.

"Isn't the Lord God?" Olga asked, a hollow feeling creeping into her chest. "Don't you only go to God when you die?"

"Yes, Olga. You only go to the Lord when you die," Mrs. Vitello confirmed.

Olga felt a physical pain in her chest. This was her fault! She had said she wished he had never been born! She had said she wished her would go away and disappear forever and ever.

Well now she had her wish.

But wanted nothing more than to take it all back.

It would haunt her for the rest of her life…


	8. Helga

Helga

For 3 years Miriam had shut down. From her husband. From her daughter. Her friends. Even her parents. The loss of her child ripped a hole in her heart that could not be filled. However, she had found a vice. It didn't take the pain away, but dulled it.

Olga strived to be the best at everything. The day she lost the spelling bee on one stupid word, she saw how disappointed her father was. She felt like a failure. Her mother had been excited about the prospect of her winning. Then she lost, and the light went out in her mothers eyes again.

She kept her secret pain to herself.

Bob spent more and more time at work, to avoid coming home. He had tried to get Miriam out of her funk, but they had barely spoken since that night. He wanted to talk things through, but she would shut down and go quiet. It frustrated him and he would retreat to his work. Business was easy. There was a problem he could fix it. But he didn't know how to fix this.

So when Miriam came to him and showed him a flyer for a cruise around the South Pacific, he had quietly been elated. This could be the break through needed. Maybe this glass wall she had put up would finally be shattered and they could go back to the way it had been.

*Two months later*

"This is wonderful," Miriam murmered, lying in the sun. "I feel so regenerized!"

"It is nice," Bob said. He looked at his phone again. Miriam felt annoyance bubble up in her chest.

"Can I have your phone a minute?" she asked, sitting up and holding out her hand.

"Why?" he asked, handing it to her.

"Because we're on holiday," she said taking it from him and throwing it over the railing and into the ocean. "We're supposed to be concentrating on us, not work!"

"Sorry," he said. He looked in the direction of his phone. He wasn't too bothered. He had another in their cabin.

"I love you, Bob," she said, straddling him. "I've missed you so much,". she buried her face into his shoulder. "Do you still love me?"

Bob looked her in the eyes. Of course he did. He wouldn't still be here if he didn't. he couldn't find the words so he kissed her softly.

"Forever," he whispered.

*Eight weeks later*

Miriam stared at the doctor in shock. Pregnant? Again?

Fear gripped her heart. What if she lost this one? She couldn't go through that pain again. It would well and truly destroy her. She touched her hand to her stomach. What would she do? She wouldn't terminate, she knew that. How was Bob going to handle this? What about Olga?

"Are you okay?" the doctor asked.

"I'm . . . stunned . . ." she said. Oh god! The amount of drinking she had been doing! What if she had hurt this little person already! "I need to go home. I need to think about how I am going to tell my family," she said, standing up and walking towards the door.

"Mrs. Pataki!" the doctor called. He handed her a card. "If you need support, there are groups out there,"

"Thank-you," she said in a hollow voice, then turned and left.

That night she cooked Bob's favourite meal. and his favourite desert. She had an ice cold beer ready. Olga was upstairs getting ready for dinner. She sometimes worried about her daughter, she spent so much time either studying or milling about the house. She remembered being twelve years old, and she couldn't remember spending as much time at home as Olga did.

"Oh, Mommy!" Olga cried dramatically. "I had the most horrendous day today," she plopped herself down in a chair.

"That's no good," she said absent-mindedly, looking towards the hall for Bob. She tuned Olga out as she ran through her head how she was going to spill the beans. A little part of her was excited. While a bigger part was terrified! Finally she heard the front door open and Bob entered the dining room.

"What's for dinner?" he asked.

"I'm pregnant!" Miriam blurted.

That wasn't the way she was planning to tell everyone . . .

*six months later

After 23 hours of labour she finally held her new little girl. She looked up at Bob, and though he smiled she could tell her was disappointed. He had wanted another boy.

Instead they had another little girl.

"I'm going to be the best big sister in the world!" Olga said.

She looked down at her little girl.

"What will you name her?" a nurse asked.

"Helga," Miriam said. "Her name is Helga".


	9. Don't Do This

Don't do this

Bob nervously did up his tie.

"You'll be fine," his best man told him. Bob smiled. Of course he would be, he was marrying the most beautiful, wonderful, crazy woman in the world. At least to him she was.

*In another room, Miriam and her Maid of Honour and bridesmaid giggled and laughed, while doing up her dress.

"It's a beautiful dress," her best friend, Clara-Ann sighed.

"Bob's sure to enjoy what's underneath too!" Mary squealed. Which set them all squealing.

"I can't believe it! Whowouldv'e thought I'd meet my future husband by running him down with my car!" she cried. Her friends laughed.

"That is a freaky-deaky way to meet the love of your life," Mary said, checking over Miriam's hair.

Clara opened the door.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

Was she? Her stomach started to do flip-flops. Her mouth went dry, her heart started skipping, her palms started to sweat. She started walking towards the gate that would lead into the garden where she was to commit the rest of her life to one man. She smiled at her father, who gave a nod, but nothing more. She could hear the music, and looped her arm through her dad's.

"You don't have to do this," he told her. Miriam looked at her father shocked.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You don't have to marry him. I know his type Miriam. I've known men like him and his father. Apples never fall far from the tree. He'll be like his father. I can tell," he said quietly.

"I love him Daddy," she said.

He stared at her with a pained expression.

"I know. That's why I don't want you to do this," he said. "He'll change. Once your away from here, he'll change. He'll turn into his father. He wont be able to help himself. Men are a product of their enviroment," he said firmly and looked away.

Miriam looked down at her dress. Clara moved nervously, and Mary touched her hair. Her friends could hear every word her father was saying, and she could see it was uncomfortable for them.

"I'll be okay," she said firmly. He said nothing, but watched as his daughters two best friends, who were practically daughters to him, moved forward as the music started.

'I'll be okay,' she thought, trying her hardest to convince herself . . .


	10. Jealousy Returns

Jealousy Comes Back

Olga watched her sister spinning around with her husband and felt jealous. She had tried to be a good sister, but there was an ugly, dark green-eyed monster that lived in her heart. She had tried her best to forever be her parents favourite. She'd done well academically. Which their father was so proud of, until Helga hit Middle School and took up several sports. Then it was all about Helga. So she had taken drastic measures and come home, quiting college to become an actor.

Well, that had defiantly gotten her parents attention, though not in a good way . . .

Of course, she got over that, and moved on to various other career choices.

She always had to put so much effort into everything.

But Helga . . . It was like she didn't even try. She never seemed stressed about weather she got good grades, or did well in competitions and contests. She was successful both academically, artistically and physically.

Helga married her childhood love, had been focused and faithful and loyal. She knew they would be together forever. She thought back on her failed engagement all those years ago, and the many failed relationships since, many of which she had kept secret from her families.

The music was turned down, and Arnold's best friend and Best man, Gerry or something, stood up front near the DJ and called for a toast.

"I want to congratulate my main man Arnold, and his childhood tormentor for an awesome day. And going through random songs I came across one I thought was perfect. It's an oldie but a goodie. You and Me by the Wannadies. Hit it Brainy!"

The song started and Olga was surprised it wasn't a slow song. She again found her sister happy and laughing and who punched Gerry (or was it Gerald? Harold? No that was the fat one . . .) in the shoulder. This wasn't the Helga she had watched grow up. She looked to her parents who were watching Helga with pride. Ignoring her. Just like they did with Robert. Just like they did when Helga was born.

Then it occurred to her: Helga wasn't a Pataki anymore.

Lucky her.

Olga downed her fourth or fifth maybe sixth wine, then grabbed her purse and walked out.

She felt sick!


	11. Proposal

Proposal

Arnold climbed in Helga's window. Helga quietly closed the window behind him and took in his appearance. His eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. She felt so helpless. She was never close to either of her grandparents, her dad's father dying before she was born, his mother not long after. Her mother's parents, well her mom's dad was still alive, but in a home.

So she didn't know what to say to Arnold now, as they both sat quietly across from each other on her bed. The whole neighbourhood was in mourning for his grandma. She was such a larger-than-life character around here, that it was strange to think of her as not about to come swinging out of some dark alleyway, or some other crazy stunt.

It started with Arnold talking, Helga listening. He was telling her funny stories about his grandma. And ones of his grandparents together. He told her how they had started out just like her and he had. Gertie tormenting and teasing his grandfather, then later marrying him Helga laughed. The irony.

Then things had gotten serious.

"My grandfather doesn't seem to know what to do with himself," Arnold told her, quietly. By now she was leaning back against her pillows, with Arnold laying next to her.

"It must be hard being with someone for so long, always having them there, then suddenly they're not," Helga said.

They were quiet for a moment, than Arnold turned to her.

"Do you still love me?" he asked.

Helga was quiet and thought on the question. Of course she did. But after watching what her parents went through and put each other through, she had to admit, sometimes she still wanted to run away and live the life of a hermit, forever dreaming of her love as perfect and unspoiled and untarnished.

"Yes," she finally said. The were quiet again. Then Arnold kissed her neck and cheek.

"Will you marry me one day?" he whispered in her ear.

Helga swore her heart stopped and her stomach disappeared. She turned to look at him. She had this whole speech working itself out in her head, but when she opened her mouth only one word came out,

"Yes," she whispered, and they kissed.

*Olga came home to a quiet house, and went into the kitchen to put away groceries. She grabbed her phone and text Helga asking where she was and when she'd be home and if she'd had dinner. Just as the text was sent her phone died.

"Darn," she said angrily, and threw it on the table then went upstairs to her room. She reached the top and turned to go to her room when she heard a strange noise coming from her sister's room. She stopped and looked. Then she heard what sounded like a muffled scream. A small butterfly of panic fluttered into her chest. Had someone broken into the house? She silently creeped up to Helga's bedroom door and turned the knob as quietly as possible and pushed the door open a crack and peeked in. she was expecting a few scenarios in her head, but seeing her sister and a boy naked and wrapped in each others arms. Olga stood stunned for a moment, then stepped back and closed the door as quietly as she had opened it.

Well, at least she knew where Helga was . . .


	12. Ponies

Ponies.

Miriam got the call from her father. Her mother was sick. She had to come home and say her good-byes

"I have to go," Miriam said manically running around her room, chucking clothes in a suitcase.

"What about the girl?" Bob asked.

"What girl? Helga?"

"Yeah, that one," Bob said.

"She's staying here," she told him, going back to her packing.

"What do you mean?" Bob yelled.

"I mean, she's staying here, Bob. I'm not dragging her all that way to attend a funeral," Miriam said. "Besides, funerals are no place for children. Be sensible," she told him, shaking her head.

Five year old Helga sat quietly outside their bedroom door in the hallway, listening.

Neither of her parents wanted her. Her eyes stung and she got up and snuck into her room before she started to cry.

…Bob stomped down to the lounge.

"I mean really, Bob, what do you want me to do? Not go?" Miriam asked him.

"I never said that," he said, turning on the T.V. "I'm just saying, why cant you take the girl with you?"

"Because it's a long trip, B," she sighed, rubbing her forehead. There was a beeping coming from outside.

"Look, my taxi is here. I got to go," she said, picking up her suitcase and leaving.

Bob ended up watching T.V late into the night. He didn't usually do this as he needed to be at his store early in the morning. Finally he turned it off and went upstairs to bed. He hadn't heard a peep out of his daughter, and figured he had better check on her. He peeked in and saw her fast asleep holding a old soft pony toy. Ponies. Olga had gone through a pony phase. He shook his head. They grew up and became aliens. They really did. He closed the door to her room and went to bed.

It was the next morning when he saw Helga was about to walk out the door to school that he called out.

"I rung the school. Your sick today," he said, throwing her a coat.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's a surprise. Might as well make the best of the situation," he muttered the last part under his breath.

He drove her out further and further into the country before finally pulling into a pony club. Finally he parked the car and got out.

Helga sat in the car quietly, then followed him.

Had he bought her a pony? She asked herself excitedly.

"You like horses, don't ya?" he asked,

"I love horses! I want one!" Helga yelled jumping up and down with excitement.

"Nowhere to keep them in the city, girl," Bob told her.

"Bob Pataki?" a woman asked. She was a very pretty lady, Helga thought. She was all done up in riding gear.

"Lisa," he said, nodding, the enveloping her in a hug. It was sinful, and Bob knew it.

"Who are you?" Helga asked the lady suspiciously. She had once seen Rhonda's dad hug a lady who was not Rhonda's mom, and kissed her then Rhonda's parents had fought. Rhonda had been so sad.

"Lisa is . . ." he looked at Lisa. How did he explain that if he hadn't met Helga's mother this woman would be his wife? That he sometimes wondered still, how different his life would have been had he married Lisa instead?

"An old friend from school," she said holding out her hand. "And you must be Helga."

Helga took her hand hand and shook it.

"Your dad tells me you like horse riding?" she said.

"I love horse riding!" Helga squealed.

"Well, your in for a treat, then," she said laughing. "Come on. Let's get you geared up."

Another younger woman came over and took Helga away to get ready.

Lisa turned to Bob and smiled.

"She's nicer than the other one," she said. "So, how is Miriam these days?"

"She's away for a week. Her mothers dying," Bob said, looking in the direction Helga had gone.

"What a shame," she said, without one iota of meaning in it. "Maybe she wont come back".

Now Bob remembered why he didn't talk to Lisa.

She hated Miriam . . .


	13. The Day Her Hair Went Green

The Day her Hair Turned Green

The music was blaring, and Helga and Lila were sipping Sparkling Grape Juice from wine glasses and being silly "sophisticate ladies" and dancing around Lila's living room. Lila had a towel on her head, and underneath the towel her hair was wrapped up in plastic.

"Darling," Helga drawled, "You really must try this dep!"

"Why thank-you, darling, don't mind if I do," Lila said, dipping a chip in the onion dip.

"I'm back!" Phoebe said, walking into the room. "And I come bearing . . . . Tada!"

"Oreo's!" Lila cried out, clapping her hands.

"Hey, you guys realise you should have rinsed out the dye by now, right?" Phoebe said.

Lila and Helga looked at each other.

"No problem, we'll wash it out now," Helga said. She went up to the bathroom.

Phoebe watched them go, then turned the music down a bit. Lila was quite the partyer with Helga around. She had finished refreshing the food when she heard both girls screaming from upstairs, she ran out and up the stairs and into the bathroom to be confronted by a horrified green-haired Lila and a shocked Helga.

"What the hell!" Lila screamed.

"I don't know . . . " Helga said, shocked.

"Oh, my," Phoebe said. "Maybe its because you left the dye in too long?"

"I don't know," Helga said worriedly, picking up the box and reading it. "Did you have dye in your hair before?"

"Highlights," Lila admitted, wiping tears from her face. "I look like a giant frog crawled on my head and died!"

"It's not that bad," Phoebe said. Both Helga and Lila looked at her.

"Are you crazy!" Helga shouted. "Of course it looks that bad. Look at it!"

Lila went back to sobbing. She couldn't go out in public like this, it would be ever so humiliating.

"It's semi-permanent," Phoebe stated.

All three girls were quiet.

"What if we just dye her hair red again?" Helga suggested.

"Dying her hair is what got her into this," Phoebe pointed out. "Plus we might make it worse."

They were quiet again. Then Helga gasped, and a slow smile came over her face, and mischeif came into her eyes.

"You know, we could always join her Pheebs," Helga finally said.

"I don't want green hair, Helga. No offence Lila," Phoebe said.

"No, no, no, it doesn't have to be green. It could be blue or purple or anything! I'll go pink," Helga declared. "I'm off to the store, be back soon!"

Lila and Phoebe watched her swan out the door, slamming it behind her. They looked at each other thinking the same thing: Helga's crazy!


	14. Confrontation

Confrontation

Olga sat motionless in the front pew staring at the coffin that held her father's body. She finally looked left of her when she heard a sniffle, to see her sister sitting on the other side of their mother, her husband's arms around her, keeping her safe and comforted. Her sister had their son in her arms as well.

Lucky Helga. After this she got to go home with her husband and child. Olga was going home with Miriam, who'd fallen off the wagon, with no comfort. She couldn't help but hate her sister. Part of her hated herself for hating Helga, but a bigger part didn't.

Helga went up and read her eulogy. Olga didn't listen. She didn't want to hear about it. Their father had left the business with Helga and Arnold, which struck Olga as a joke. Helga was an artist, a writer, and Arnold wasn't into business. He was more into science. Olga didn't understand what exactly it was, something about forensics and bones and police work of some sort or something. All she knew was that neither were really keen on getting lumped with the business.

She finally realised Helga was looking at her expectantly.

Damn. It must be her turn. She got up slowly, head spinning a bit. shouldn't have had that drink before the funeral, and made her way up there slowly. She looked up and saw the look of dissaproval on Helga' face. When she stumbled, Helga moved forward to help her.

"Are you drunk?" she whispered.

"Yes I'm fucking drunk!" Olga said out loud. "Unlike you, I don't have a wonderful husband who loves me to comfort me. I'm stuck with our useless drunk of a mother!"

Olga heard a collective gasp from behind her. She turned to see a whole lot of people there, and laughed at them.

"Dad was s dick!" she said. "You all think it! No one will say it though, huh? No one ever does."

Miriam had started to sob, and Arnold had moved over and was whispering to her, while glancing up at Olga worriedly.

"It doesn't matter, Olga," Helga said. "Dad had a good side too."

Olga laughed.

"Your so stupid, Helga. Do you have any idea how disappointed dad was when you were a girl? He never wanted you. He wanted a son, another precious Robert," she spat. "But never you! I didn't want you either and neither did-:

"That's enough," Arnold said, striding up to her and pulling her aside. He dragged her out of the "chapel" and into the fresh air. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

She looked at Arnold for a long quiet moment.

"Your such a handsome young man," she said, trying wrap his arms around his waist. He moved back, making a face, and shaking his head.

"I'm calling you a taxi. You need to go home," he reached into his pocket for his phone.

"Why are you with my sister?" she asked.

"Hi, can I have a pick up from Hillwood Catholic Church, please?" he said onto his phone, ignoring her.

"You could have done better. There are prettier girls out there," she said, again trying to embrace him.

"Thanks," he closed his phone. "Your sister is a wonderful person. All she needed was to be away from you."

He stormed off back into the chapel, no doubt to console her "baby sister" and drunkard mother. She turned away, and brought out her car keys. Fuck the taxi, she'd drive home.


	15. Bonding

(This is a bit of a long one)

Bonding

Helga laid on Lila's bed crying. She had never been so horrified and upset in her life. Not even after that time her and Arnold broke up.

"She was just kissing him, Lila. Right there in the street for anyone to see!" Helga sobbed.

Lila laid next to her and stroked her back.

"Gosh, I don't know what to say," Lila said honestly. "I'm so sorry."

Helga shook her head and continued crying.

"If I told you a secret, would you keep it to yourself?" Lila asked. Helga looked at her.

"Depends," she said. "What kind of secret?"

Lila had never told anyone before. And that mean little girl in Helga was saying "finally, some dirt!"

"When I was little, before I started school, my mum used to take me to visit "Uncle Peter". he wasn't really my uncle, but she always told me to call him that. Anyway, they'd leave me in the lounge and disappear down to his room," Lila whispered. Helga's eyes opened wide. Was this why Lila never talked about her mother?

"Anyway, one day, after I started kindy, she was late picking me up, and I went inside crying, and the principal called my dad. He came and got me. Mum was mad when she finally came home that night. But not as mad as dad. Because I had told him about "Uncle Peter", Lila said.

"Oh my god," Helga said. "She was taking you along while she was having an affair with the guy?"

"Yeah, of course I didn't know it was bad, even though she always told me to not tell my dad about it," Lila pursed her lips and frowned. "I was so upset when I did. If I hadn't been . . . I probably never would have told him."

Helga thought for a moment, back to her childhood. That one day she had been brought back to the stables early. When her dad used to take her to ride horses at his old friends.

"My dad had an affair when I was little," Helga confessed.

"Really?" Lila asked.

"Yeah. It was with an old high school sweetheart or something. I got brought back to the stables to early and saw them," Helga sighed. "A couple months later we stopped going there. Her and dad had a fight. She wanted him to leave my mom, but he wouldn't. When we left that day I had a feeling I would never go back there, and all I could think about was how much I was going to miss the horses."

Lila laughed.

"My parents . . . I think they have an open marriage or something," Helga confessed. "Miriam knew, but never said anything. I remember, after Olga had left, one night they held a party with several other "friends", and they went to bed with different people."

Lila gasped.

"A swingers party?" she asked, completely scandalised. Helga nodded.

"So what happened with your mom?" Helga asked, reaching out and playing with Lila's plait.

"She took off with the guy. Dad never told me what truly happened, although I suspect there were drugs involved," Lila told her. "I just came home one day to find dad crying. He told me mum had gone. He didn't know where though. I was five by then".

Helga sighed.

"I find out, a little before we moved here that she had died. Dad offered to take me to her funeral, but I didn't want to go," Lila told her.

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

"No," Lila said. "Does that make me a terrible person?"

Helga laughed.

"Like you could ever be terrible!" she scoffed. Lila smiled.

They both laid there on her bed silent.

"I'll take your secret to the grave, if you promise to do the same," Helga finally said.

"Deal," Lila said. Then leaned forward and kissed Helga softly on the lips. "And sealed with a kiss."


	16. Protest

Protest

"This school project is designed to help you cope with life after school," the teacher told the class, looking them all over. "I have set you up in two's of boy and girl."

Thirteen year old Helga switched off. She wasn't interested much in the project. She didn't like this teacher either.

"Pataki, Peterson," the teacher finally called out, which caused Helga to roll her eyes. The teacher continued calling out names then told the boys to move to their partnered girls.

"Hiya, Helga," Stinky drawled. Helga snapped gum in response. "I reakon we haven't talked in years, even though we're in the same class."

"Yeah, let's keep it that way," she said, sighing and leaning back.

"Poor Jacob," he said. Helga ignored him. "Must be had being partnered up with a girl when your not into them."

Helga sat up and looked at him.

"What do ya mean?" she asked.

"Where have you been living?" he asked. "He's gay. Everyone knows it."

Helga shrugged.

"Not any of my business," she said. But it gave her a terrific idea on how to cause hell and havoc for this teacher. She smiled, then raised her hand.

…...

Helga, and seven other students had cuffed themselves to the school flagpole in protest. What had started out as Helga just wanting to piss off a teacher, was turning into a movement. She listened to stories of some "in-the-closet" students, and realised that she was being seen as some sort of, well, almost like a hero.

She was realising that there was a whole group of kids in her school who were being persecuted for love. Helga was a big believer and defender of love. She couldn't think of anything more wonderful, and was trying to understand why everyone else didn't feel the same. Love should be celebrated, in her opinion, not punished and told it was wrong. Then it got stepped up a notch, with a new group of students showing up in support.

Around their necks the had pro-gay-marriage and relationship signs. Other students were stopping and staring. The principal was jumping up and down in annoyance, which had to be controlled once News trucks started showing up.

There were students showing their support for the movement Helga was starting, and others who weren't impressed at all. Slowly more and more students were showing up with signs. Helga and other students were being interviewed for TV and the teachers were divided on it as well. The school was splitting groups of teachers, groups of friends.

Arnold stood back watching the whole thing and shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Shortman, you get used to it," his grandpa said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I did."


	17. imPerfect Ending

ImPerfect Ending

Helga twirled the wedding band on her finger. Where was he? Her eyes were puffy from crying so much. Phoebe had come to get the kids and take them to stay with her for the night.

Helga was in an absolute state. She had worried for a while now, that this would happen. She went back to crying.

Everything had been going so well for her in her life.

She had a successful career, three wonderful children, and had married the man of her dreams. The marriage had been perfect so far. He life had been perfect so far.

Then this.

She looked down at the brown envelope. She hated it. She wanted to burn it, but needed it for legal reasons. What a mess.

And she had to clean it up.

She had no idea what she was going to say to Arnold when he got home.

She looked at the clock again. And hour late. All these late nights he'd been doing.

She sighed.

Finally after another half hour Arnold walked in the door. Helga looked up and saw him looking exhausted. He looked up and gave her a weak smile, but lost it when he saw her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She started to cry.

"Helga," he said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her cheek. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

Helga pulled back and looked him in the face.

"Olga's dead."


	18. Started with a Bribe

"I'll think about it," Helga said, going back to her book.

"Helga," Connie said, coming forward to sit next to her. "This would be your IN to the high school elite."

"Yeah, cheerleading is great," Maria said. "Very physical though, which is probably the only down side."

Helga raised her eyebrows. She supposed Maria was right. It did look pretty physical. She just wasn't sure if cheerleading is what she wanted to do during high school.

Rhonda took Helga aside, smiling at the older girls.

"Helga," Rhonda started. "I know we have never been great friends, but please. They want us. Me, because, well, I'm me, and you because your fast, strong, and have experience in dance. Your fearless, and love physical activity. In a lot of ways, your perfect for this."

Helga eyed Rhonda.

"What are you getting out of this?" she asked suspiciously.

Rhonda sighed.

"They don't like Nadine, because they think she's creepy. They don't like Lila because she "stole" Maria's boyfriend. And Sheena . . . well, she's Sheena," she told her. "Phoebe is too quiet. But your perfect!"

Helga made a face. Perfect for cheerleading? Fantastic!

Helga rolled her eyes.

"Seventy bucks a week, no more," Rhonda said to her. That was a pretty good offer.

"Are you bribing me?" Helga asked, smiling.

"I don't want to do this alone, Pataki," Rhonda said. "Seventy dollars."

"Fine," Helga finally agreed.

And that was how she found herself at Cheerleading Boot Camp that summer before high school.

…...

~Two Years Later~

Helga and Rhonda were smiling triumphantly with the rest of their squad. They had won the National Championships.

Rhonda had stopped paying Helga after the first year of high school. Helga found she enjoyed it. It was physical, and she could still remember those first few months where every muscle ached. But it had been worth it.

Not only that, but both her and Rhonda would be taking over as captains of the squad for Senior year.

And it all started with a bribe.


	19. Love

"Don't walk away from me, Bob!" Lisa yelled. "You know I'm right!"

"I can't just leave my wife, Lisa!" he boomed. "I have two kids with the woman!"

"Oh yeah, she's a wonderful mother to Helga, isn't she?" Lisa hissed angrily.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Bob asked. He turned on his dominant pose and voice. Lisa stepped back a little, looking uncertain.

"I . . .I'm just saying," she stammered.

"Saying what?" he demanded, taking a step forward. Lisa swallowed. She had never faced this side of Bob before, and wasn't sure how to proceed.

"Your so busy with work, you don't even notice!" she finally blurted out. "I've talked to her on rides, Bob. She's not happy."

Bob smirked.

"The girl's fine," he said, turning away from Lisa.

"No, Bob, she isn't," Lisa persisted.

Bob ran his hands through his hair.

"What do you know about my family?" he asked.

"I know a wonderful, bright, little girl who is very angry and lonely because her parents aren't giving her the attention she deserves," Lisa said. "Bob, she has so much hurt and pain cooped up in that little body. She doesn't feel loved."

"I love my child Lisa," Bob said.

Lisa sighed.

"I know that, but I don't think she does. And it doesn't help that she's living in Olga's shadow. And that Miriam doesn't even pack her lunch," Lisa continued. "Did you know she's in love?"

Bob laughed.

"She's too young to be in love," he scoffed.

Lisa shook her head.

"Not true," she said, smiling. "A little boy named Arnold."

Bob shook his head again.

"Bob, please," Lisa begged. "If not for you and me, then for Helga. She's like a daughter to me now. I love her."

Bob looked at Lisa. Helga adored Lisa too. She was always wanting to come visit. Sometimes she used the phone and talked to Lisa.

And Bob loved Lisa. She was so good with his youngest daughter. She put in the time with her that he couldn't, and that Miriam should, but didn't. If he didn't have so much to lose, he would leave Miriam.

And take Helga with him.

But it was Miriam's inheritance that was invested in the Emporium. If they divorced she could take everything he had worked so hard to build up from him and leave him with nothing.

"I love you Lisa," he said, moving forward and kissing her.

…...

Helga stood in the doorway and watched as her father leaned in to kiss Lisa. What was happening? She frowned. Why was Daddy kissing Lisa? Was Lisa going to be a new Mommy? What about her old Mommy?

She turned around and walked out of the stable. She would just wait with the horses til her Daddy came and got her.


	20. No Hard Feelings

(This chapter is actually going to tie in with a story I am working on based solely on Arnold away from Hillwood.)

"Oh my god!" Rhonda said, rushing in the girls changing rooms. "You will never believe who the captain of the other schools basketball team is!"

The other cheerleaders looked up at her.

Rhonda took a moment to bask in the attention she was getting.

"Well, are you going to tell us, Princess, or do you actually want us to guess?" Helga asked, ruining Rhonda's moment. Rhonda sent her a glare. Then she took a deep breath.

"Arnold!"

A couple of girls gasped, the ones who had known him from P.S118. Helga's jaw dropped.

"Are you serious?" she asked. "He's their captain?"

Rhonda nodded.

"Who's Arnold? And why is it such a big deal?" Alissa asked. She had been at P.S119, so didn't know who Arnold was.

"Uh, he only grew up with like, half the basketball team," Rhonda said. "He's best fiends with Gerald Johansson."

"Your joking!" Anna, Alissa's twin sister, shouted, shocked.

"Nope," Rhonda grinned. "This will be EPIC! Friend versus friend!"

Helga looked away.

Jeez! She had never expected something like this to happen. Cheer for her team, betray Arnold. Cheer for Arnold, betray her team.

"I also hear he's dating their head cheerleader," Rhonda said, staring at Helga.

"Good for him," she said. She went back to doing up her laces. She kept calm on the outside, but on the inside she was going nuts. Finally they were ready and it was time to get out there and get the team pumped.

When they were there she looked toward Gerald, who was emotionless. She looked into the crowd and saw some old classmates there. What were they going to think when they saw they're old friend, who fought alongside them against bullies, grow up with them, know all their secrets . . . playing for the rival team?

Arnold wasn't going to have an easy time if he came back to Hillwood this coming summer.

Finally she turned to look at the rival team and cheerleaders. She recognized the girls from boot camp, including their captain, who went up to Arnold and gave him a kiss. That tore it. She was going to cheer her hardest for their team.

Lost love be damned.

…...

Helga watched as Arnold came over after the game to greet Gerald, though what he said made Gerald's lip curl.

"No hard feelings, right? It's just a game," he said, smirking at him. His team had won by one point. Helga heard this and glared. How rude!

"What ever man," Gerald said.

Arnold smiled again then walked away.

No way was he getting away with that!

…...

Helga went to get a drink. She always got major thirsty during games. She sighed, then turned around to find Arnold standing behind her.

"Shit!" she said, putting a hand against her chest. "Don't sneak up on me like that, Football Head!"

"That was a dirty trick you pulled Helga," he said, placing his arms on either side of her head, palms flat against the wall, trapping her in. Helga rolled her eyes and saw his girlfriend approaching and smirked.

"Hey, I'd love to accept kudos for that cheer, but it was all Rhonda," she said, wrapping her arms around Arnold's neck. She moved forward to whisper in his ear.

"No hard feelings, right?" then glanced over seeing that his girlfriend could see them, then she pulled back a bit and kissed him full on the lips. She felt him kiss her back and his hands drop to her waist. "It's just a game," she whispered, pulling away. Then she moved away, Arnold following her with his eyes. She heard him curse as he saw his girlfriend standing there looking devastated. Helga smiled as she walked past the girl.


	21. Letters and Shock

Letters and Shock

"Helga! Helga Pataki!" she heard a girl calling out. She turned to see a girl running towards her, blonde ponytail bouncing. She stood still waiting for Little Miss Perky to get to her. She looked past and saw some other girls looking her way.

"Hi, I'm Clarissa," she said, holding out her hand. Helga looked at her hand, then at her, emotionless. Clarissa lost her smile and pulled her hand back.

"Oooo kay, um, I'm Arnold's girlfriend," she said. Helga remained emotionless. "Uh, we go to school together."

Helga sighed and looked to the sky.

"So what? You want a medal or something?" she asked tiredly. She just wanted to have a shower and read a book.

Clarissa looked taken aback. What had she been wanting? A fight? A girl with reddish brown hair in a plait came running over.

"Um, no, I just . . . uh," Clarissa stuttered.

"Look, it's been a long day, when you find your tongue and some words, come find me, til then fuck off and leave me alone," Helga snapped.

"Wow, Arnold wasn't kidding, she is a bitch," Clarissa's voice rang out. Helga kept walking choosing to ignore that comment least she get kicked out. What had started as merely a way to earn some cash - though not as easily as she had thought - had actually become something enjoyable. Helga loved the adrenaline that coursed through her veins as the crowd went wild. She got a high off the rush. Cheerleading had become almost a saviour, from the depression that would threaten to overcome her.

It was also a way to get out of the house.

So she kept walking as her heart quietly broke and cried.

She continued walking even as she heard footsteps running up behind her. She stopped and twirled around to come face to face with the reddish-brown haired girl.

"I'm Alix, a friend of Arnold's," she said, digging into her pocket and taking out a letter. "He asked me to give this to you, but it's been so crazy I haven't had the chance."

Helga took the letter from her and stared at it.

"If it's any consolation, she's a way to pass the time," Alix said to her.

"What do you mean?" Helga asked. Alix smiled and threaded her arm into Helga's.

"Walk with me," she said. "I've heard a lot about you . . . "

And Helga heard a lot about Arnold that afternoon, too.

When lights out was called she quickly opened the letter and read it.

_See you soon xx_

…_..._

_Lila and Phoebe were waiting for Helga when she got home. Then they all walked over to Lila's house. Bob and Miriam were out. The girls were laughing and joking as Lila opened the door. The first thing they noticed was the music playing._

"_Geez, dad, loud enough?" Lila asked, about to walk into the lounge, but then stopped, gasping in shock._

_Phoebe and Helga stepped next to her to see what she was seeing. And Helga wished she hadn't._

"_Oh, my," Phoebe breathed._

_Lila's dad and Helga's mom were untangling themselves from each other on the couch, Lila's dad fell of in the process._

"_OH my God! Dad!" Lila screamed, turning away. Phoebe remained still not able to tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her._

_Helga backed away, then turned and ran, her mom's voice calling out to her._


	22. PNA

PNA

Helga couldn't believe it. She could have sworn she just saw Sid and another guy drive past in a patrol car. Literally driving, with Harold and in the back. She was walking back into town after the end of a disastrous date Rhonda had set her up on. The guy had gotten a little handsy, and Helga had rejected him, gotten out of his car, and started walking. He was still following her, trying to get her to get back in the car. She looked back and saw the car turning around, and yep, it was Sid alright, and Daryl Barker. Sid wearing a police hat.

James, Helga's "date" who would forever and a day be known to her as "octopus boy", saw the cop car, said stuff it, and driven off, leaving her there.

"Need a ride darlin?" Daryl drawled, hanging out the window. "Going to have to share the back with a couple of drongo's, but you'll be fine. They're neutered."

"Hey!" Harold and Stink yelled at the same time.

Helga laughed and opened the door, climbing in next to Harold.

Who had cuffs.

"Oh, my God, do I even want to know?" she asked. "And why are you driving a cop car?"

"Harold did a streak and got picked up then Curly was breaking into the aquarium, and the cop left the keys in the car so me and Stinky jumped in and away we went!" Sid explained.

"You do realise they have GPS in these things, right?" Helga asked, leaning forward.

The boys were quiet.

"Fuck!" Sid suddenly yelled.

"Danm, should have known they'd have some kind of tracking in their car," Stinky said.

"Great, arrested for streaking AND grand theft auto," Harold said.

"Yeah, of a cop car!" Helga reminded them laughing.

"Your in the car too," Harold reminded her.

Helga shrugged,.

"Big deal, so we ditch the car or something," she said.

As they came up to lights they saw a guy in what Helga called a "wankers car" (wanker, what a funny word), all loud exhaust, low riding, bass thumping piece of shit car. Daryl nodded to the guy who glared at him through the window.

"Fuck the Pigs!" he yelled, flipping Daryl the bird, then he raced off, tyres squealing.

Daryl looked genuinely shocked. He hung out with that guy!

"No fucking way!" he yelled. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Let it go, Daryl," Sid said.

"No way," he said, and before anyone could say anything else he started off after the guy. Helga, Stinky and Harold looked at each other then put their seatbelts on.

"Daryl, slow down ya fool! Your gonna get us stopped!" Stinky yelled at him.

"No freaking way is he getting away with that!" Daryl yelled, putting his foot down further.

It was a good thing it was night time. They finally ended at the docks, and the guy in the other car stopped and jumped out, running off, Daryl jumped out and went to chase after him, but Sid stopped him. They argued a bit, then Sid managed to drag him back.

"Holy shit," Harold said. "I thought we were gonna die!"

Helga just nodded. Daryl opened the door for Helga and she got out and walked over to the other car and looked in.

"Hot," she said.

"What?" the four boys asked.

"It's stolen you nit wits, that's why the guy was freaking out," she told them.

They stood around for a while, trying to decide what to do. They had to decide fast, because of the GPS in the cop car. Harold went back over to the patrol car.

"I think we should take the hot car," Helga said. "Leave the patrol car here."

"But our fingerprints-" Sid started then stopped. Helga followed his stare then wished she hadn't. Harold was peeing into the car.

"Harold nooooooo!" Stinky yelled, running towards him.

"I'm just letting them know what I think of them," he said.

"But now you've left PNA in there," he told him.

PNA?

"What's PNA?" Helga asked.

"Like DNA, but with pee," Sid explained to her, like she was stupid.

"Oh, okay," she said. Boys were so stupid. "So we burn it."

"You, gorgeous, are amazing," he whispered in her ear, moving close. His breath on her cheek made her shiver and her knees go weak. What the hell?

Daryl pulled out a lighter, then looked at the others.

"Well, you cant tell me you guys don't have lighters," he said.

"We'll need more than lighters to burn it out," Sid pointed out to him.

"Break the plastic, pour the fluid on the car, set it on fire. Easy peasy," he told them.

Seemed like a good idea, so they did that, while she got the stolen car started. Once the inside of the patrol car was on fire, they took off.

"The cops are taking a long time to look for the car," Stinky said.

"From your lips to God's ears, Stinky, shut up," Helga said.

She looked at Daryl.

"Where too?" she asked.

"I know a guy," Daryl said. He gave her directions. When they got there a guy took the car off them with a handshake with Daryl. Even got some money out of it, which they split five ways and went to the movies to celebrate.

They never did get caught.


	23. I want a Divorce

Helga couldn't see her sister anywhere. 'On my own wedding day she takes off,' Helga thought to herself. 'Typical'. she turned around ready to go ask Arnold to dance again when she saw him

Arnie.

Staring at her. And . . . Blinking? She cringed.

"Hello, Helga," he said in that flat dead voice. He did that blinking thing again.

Feeling awkward.

"Uh, hi, hello . . . Arnie," Helga said, looking around for rescue. No help. Damn!

"You look very nice today," he told her, taking her hand and kissing it. Helga smiled, resisting the urge to pull her hand away and run screaming into the night.

"Uh, thanks," she said. "I should-"

"I used recycled paper for wrapping yours and my cousins wedding gift," he said.

"Oh, well, how environmentally friendly of you," she said.

"Not really," he said, then proceeded to tell her what went into it. She stood there, nodding, keeping silent. She really just wanted to knock his teeth in. she didn't know what the chemicals he was listing were, nor did she care.

"That's fascinating," she said, again looking for help. Then she spied Lila and did a nod thing with her head. Lila started coming over.

Finally he finished and she just gave him a blank look. Then, probably thinking she didn't know what the chemicals were he started telling her their everyday names. By now Helga was just pissed off.

"Why didn't you just say that in the first place?" she asked irritated.

"Because," snort "That's not what's written on the packet." Left blink, right blink.

"Is everything okay over here?" Lila asked, stepping in.

"Fine," Arnie said, eyes still glued to Helga. "If it ever doesn't work out with my cousin . . ."

He left the sentence unfinished.

"Don't worry, Arnie. I have a loaded handgun in my drawer at home at all times. If I ever get to the point where I look at you romantically I will personally put the bullet in my head," Helga said with a smile, turned on her heel and left.

Arnie turned to Lila who was trying not to laugh.

"I think she likes me."

"I want a divorce," Helga said, coming up beside Arnold. He looked at his watch.

"We've only been married fifteen minutes, Helga. Give it another half hour and we'll see how we go, okay?" he said, going back to his conversation with Gerald, who was trying not to laugh.

"I don't think I can last that long," she said. "Your freakazoid cousin just bailed me up in a corner to tell me, using the complicated names first, what made up the wrapping paper he used. Then he told me the everyday names for the chemicals, because I obviously was to subtle in my whole 'Don't give a stuff' attitude."

"Really?" Arnold asked. "Are you okay?"

Helga glared at him.

"I'm not finished," she snapped.

"There's more?" Gerald asked.

"Yes, there's more. Then I said to him "Why didn't you just use those names in the first place?" and he's all "snort" because that's not what's written on the packet" then did that creepy weird blinky thing with his eyes," she told him. She cringed again. Gerald and Phoebe just laughed, and Arnold smiled.

"I'm sorry," he said, hugging her.

"Oh, it gets better," Helga said.

"I don't see how," Gerald said.

"He then says "if it doesn't work out with my cousin" and then just lets the sentence end," she finished.

That got Arnold's attention.

"He said what?"

"Yeah," Helga said.

"What did you say?" Gerald asked.

"That I'd shoot myself first," Helga told him.

Gerald hooted with laughter. Even Phoebe and Arnold joined in.

"It's not funny!" Helga cried. "It was so traumatizing. I had to ask Lila to come rescue me."


	24. Lighthouse

The drive had been pretty long, and Arnold had blindfolded her a couple of towns back. She trusted him, after all, she had married him, but still . . . What was he up too?

..Earlier…

"I have a surprise for you," Arnold said, as she walked in the door.

"I have one for you too," she said, smirking. "But you go first."

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, my news can wait," she said, dropping her bag on the counter and leaning against it. "So?"

"It's not here," he told her. "We need to drive there."

Helga raised her eyebrows. Drive there?

"Is this about . . .you know?" she said.

Arnold gave her a big smile.

"Just grab a coat, love," he whispered, coming close, wrapping an arm around her waist, and kissing her neck softly . . .

…Later…

Fifteen minutes later and Helga could smell brine and hear the ocean.

"Are we going to a beach?" she asked, thinking he was taking them to the beach house they'd stayed at as kids all those years ago.

"You'll see," Arnold said, mischievously. "No peeking!"

Helga sat back and let herself trust him. What choice did she have?

Finally Arnold pulled to a stop and turned the car off.

"We're here," he said, getting out of the car. "Keep the blindfold on!"

He came around and opened Helga's door, helping her out of the car. Again, she could hear waves and smell the ocean, so she knew they were right next to it. She could also hear seagulls. Where were they? Arnold led her along a path for a bit, then stopped, kissed her, came behind her and undid the blindfold. Helga blinked in the sun. it was fading, but was still bright after having had her eyes in darkness for so long.

She looked up. Then up again.

"A lighthouse?" she asked. "What are we doing at a lighthouse?"

"Not just any lighthouse," Arnold told her excitedly. "Our lighthouse!"

Helga stared at him blankly for a moment.

"Our lighthouse?" she asked, not sure she heard right.

"Yeah," he said. "It was converted into a house a few years back, and I saw it and thought 'Perfect!'"

Helga smiled, then looked at the lighthouse again. A lighthouse? Was he serious?

"Come on," Arnold said, taking her hands, unlocking the door, and leading her inside. It was nice and modern. The bottom hosted the kitchen and lounge. An extension had been added for a bathroom. Helga looked around.

"They managed to get three bedrooms in here, can you imagine?" Arnold asked.

Helga shook her head. No, she really couldn't. but she wasn't going to say anything. Arnold was so excited about the place.

"The tub is glass," he said, leading her into the bathroom.

Indeed it was. And huge! Helga nodded, starting to come around. Still, how suitable was it going to be for . . .

"And," Arnold again, dragged her out of the bathroom and up the spiral staircase to the second floor and pushed open a door. It led to a room with a window view straight out onto the ocean. It was beautiful. Helga walked to the window and looked out. Wow, now she was starting to warm up to the place. But still . . . she bit her lip.

"Ensuite!" Arnold cried out, disappearing into a room off the main. Helga followed him in and saw a glass shower.

"Wow, they liked glass things, huh?" she asked with a laugh. Arnold walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her.

"All the better to see you, my dear," he said, kissing her so softly. Helga sighed.

How was he going to take her news?

"Come, on, we can go all the way to the top!" he shouted excitedly. Helga laughed and followed him up the stairs again, past two more rooms and straight to the top. Arnold opened the door and they went out onto the landing. They stood next to each other, holding the railing and watching the sun go down. She saw Arnold gazing at her lovingly, and smiled.

"I'm pregnant," she said suddenly.


	25. He's a Magic Man, Mama

He's a Magic Man, Mama.

….

….

….

_Dear "Mom" and "Dad"_

_I've gone._

_Good riddance to getting away from you!_

_Your "daughter",_

_Helga._

_That's H - E - L - G - A._

_NOT Olga._

Bob stared at the note, trying to make sense of it.

Where the hell had his youngest daughter gone too?

"Miriam!" he roared.

Miriam, who was downstairs, aimlessly stirring a pot of stroganoff, looked at the ceiling at the sound of Bob's voice. Olga, who was setting the table, also looked up.

"Oh, dear," Olga said sweetly. "What's Helga done now?"

"I don't know, dear, but I'm sure we're going to find out," she muttered, going back to stirring.

Bob's footsteps feel loud and heavy, and he stormed into the room, scowling like neither had ever seen him scowl before.

"Call her friends," he snapped at Olga.

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Damn girl's taken off again," he said, slamming Helga's note on the table.

"To the jungle?" Miriam asked, stupidly. Bob closed his eyes and counted to ten. Sometimes . . .

"No, Miriam. Probably that no good, loser she's been hanging around with. What's his name? Garth?"

They both looked at him confused for a second, then Olga figured it out.

"Daryl?" she suggested.

"Whatever," he said. "What's the boys number? Where does he live?"

"I don't-" Olga started, but Bob left the room, stomping the whole way. When she caught up to him, he was on the phone already.

"I wanna talk to Helga's little friend . . . Penny?" he said. "Yeah, Phoebe, whatever. I need to talk to her now . . . What do you mean, not like I am!? Who are you to tell me who I can and cant talk too!?"

Olga stepped forward and took the phone off her father, who was red in the face. Man, Helga was really in for it when she got home!

"Hello?" she said into the phone, sweetly.

"Hello, Olga?" Mrs' Hyerdels voice asked.

"Yes, I'm sorry about Daddy," she said, first off. "It's just Helgas run away, and we think she might be with a boy. We were wondering if Phoebe maybe knew where he lived? Or a number for him?"

"I'll just get her," she said. A couple of minutes later, Phoebe answered.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Phoebe, it's Olga," she said.

"Oh, hello," Phoebe said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

"This Daryl guy, you don't happen to know where he lives do you?" Olga asked.

"No . . . why?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, Helga's taken off, and we think she may be with him," Olga told her.

"I'll call Lila and ask her," Phoebe offered.

"Oh, no, that's okay, I can call Lila myself, thankyou Phoebe."

"Okay. I'll text Helga and see if she answers," Phoebe said, then hung up.

Olga called Lila, but she had no answers for her either.

It was nine at night when they finally got a call from the police. Helga and her "boyfriend", Daryl, had been picked up a few hours ago. They were at the station. Bring a lawyer.

Bob was in an absolute rage as he stormed from the house, slammed the door to the car, beeping the horn at Olga and Miriam to hurry up. He drove there in a bad mood, swearing at every "stupid driver" he came across. When they got there, Miriam suggested that he try to calm himself down, while she and Olga went in. Olga had called the lawyer on the way there, and he was there to meet them.

"What's happened?" Miriam asked. "Is Helga okay?"

The lawyer frowned.

"No. she's in a little bit of trouble," he said. "Apparently, her boyfriend robbed a conveniance store. He shot and killed a man. Your daughter claims she knew nothing about it, until the police stopped them. And her boyfriend backs up her claim. But, it's convincing the police."

He saw Bob striding toward them, face of thunder, and gulped, 'Poor girl,' he thought. 'She's gonna wish she was staying in here tonight.'

"Whats the girl done now?" he demanded, looking at the shocked silent faces of his older daughter and wife.

"Her boyfriend has been arrested for armed robbery and murder," he said.

Bob didn't know what to say . . .

…...

Helga was led out of the interview room, and saw her parents and sister standing there, waiting for her. When she looked to the left she saw Daryl being led to the cells in cuffs.

"How could you kill someone?" she called out to him.

"I'm sorry," he mouthed, then looked away.

Helga could feel her heart break.

Just six hours ago everything was wonderful. Daryl had shown up at her window asking her to run away with him. She didn't need to be asked twice. She'd grabbed her savings - which had been confiscated now - and some clothes and gone with him on his motorbike.

She had her first time with him. They'd stopped to eat, then he kissed her. Next thing she knew they were having sex on his bike. It wasn't the most comfortable, but it would definitely be memorable.

It was funny in a way. She had always thought it would be with her first love, Arnold.

But Daryl had this . . . Overwhelming, alluring, seductiveness to her that she couldn't resist, for lack of better explaining. The song 'Magic Man', reminded her of him, and that was the first song she thought of, watching him be led away. He was fire, and she enjoyed playing with it. But she never expected that fire to explode the way it did.

Though she should have. All the signs were there. And she'd turned a blind eye to every one of them.

She swore then, that the only man she would ever be with was Arnold. And if not him, then she would be happy to be alone.

Maybe she'd get some cats.


	26. Flowers

Helga had been curled up with a book for the past hour. She should have been working, but she decided to take some her time. With no husband, no kids and a clean house, she had the opportunity to just relax and unwind. Particularly after a hard morning and the fight to get the kids out the door. Neither wanted to go to school, but there was no way in heck Helga was keeping them home.

So when the doorbell rang, she sighed, getting up and answering the door to see a young, bored looking man holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

"Flowers for Helga G. Pataki?" he said, handing her a card and the flowers. She took them, placing them on the floor and signing. Then she closed the door, picked them up and took them into the kitchen and placed them on the bench, taking out the card and reading the inside.

_To my first love,_

_More beautiful now then the day I met you._

_Forever, your First._

"Oh, Arnold!" she sighed. "So romantic."

She looked around, finding the perfect vase - a wedding gift from Rhonda, so it was real crystal - and arranged them in there. She stopped a moment, looking at the forget-me-nots. 'Huh, strange to put those in here,' she thought, then finished what she was doing and looked for something for dinner. Looking at the clock she saw she had two and a half hours before the kids got home from school.

She hadn't even had lunch yet, so caught up in her book she was. So she had a sandwich, then started getting dinner ready.

…...

"Nice flowers," Arnold said, walking into the kitchen and giving Helga a kiss.

"Thankyou. They're beautiful," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and kissing him.

"Where'd you get them?" he asked, pulling away at last. Helga stood there confused for a second.

"You?" she said and asked at the same time.

Arnold shook his head.

"Not me," he told her. "Did they come with a card or something?"

Helga wordlessly handed the card to him. He read it, frowning, then glared at the flowers as if they had written the note to her, and delivered themselves.

"And this is all?" he asked, looking at her hard. Helga nodded.

"I thought they were from you," she told him honestly. "The whole first love thing . . ."

Arnold shook his head, tossing the card on the bench then glaring at the flowers again.

"I'm going to go have a shower," he said, then left the room.

Helga looked over at the flowers.

If Arnold hadn't sent them, who had?

Then it hit her like a punch to the stomach.

First love.

First.

Forget-me-nots.

Helga G Pataki . . .

Daryl . . .


	27. Betrayal

(A/N: I'm considering writing a sequel to New HA High. I pretty much have it finished. This is a snippet from that. So are a few other chapters in Pataki Secrets. Also, sorry this is short.)

…...

…...

Helga unsnapped the bracelet and threw it on the vanity. She unclipped her necklace and threw that down too. She took out her earrings and tossed them on the top of the vanity and then got up, not caring that one of them dropped to the floor. She whirled around, her face in a scowl, she aggressively unzipped her dress and kicked it out of her way, not even bothering to pick it up.

Leave it to him.

She reached into her suitcase and pulled out jeans, a shirt and a jumper, she kicked off her heels and grabbed her regular shoes. She didn't bother undoing her hair. She wasn't going to take the time to do that. She didn't even grab her suitcase. She just left a simple note saying:

"_Going home. Enjoy your reunion!_"

She took a second to take a breath, sitting down on the bed, that just last night they had made love in. how fast it went from saying "I love you" to Helga to "Of course I wonder how different my life would be if I had never married Helga, and had stayed with you" to Clarissa.

It had hurt hearing her husband say that. She had never doubted their relationship, never doubted that she wanted to be with him, never imagined her life without him, since they had gotten together so long ago, that afternoon of his Grandma's funeral.

But apparently he had. He had been emailing Clarissa secretly. There were even phone calls and text messages, that were light and flirty. It broke her heart.

She sniffled a little, but then stood up and walked out the door.


	28. How Did We Get Here?

How did we get here?

…...

…...

Miriam Pataki sat holding her daughters hand. Seeing her daughter so still, so pale, hooked up to life support, all because of a stupid misunderstanding between her husband and another woman . . .

She looked to the door as she heard footsteps to see her own husband entering the room.

"What did he say?" Miriam asked, her heart wanting to stop.

Big Bob Pataki shook his head.

"He refuses to turn off the life support," he said, smiling a little through the tears.

Miriam breathed a sigh of relief. A small part thought that it would be better for her daughter if the life support was turned off, but a bigger part wanted her daughter to pull through. Wanted her daughter to wake up. The "professionals" had been trying to convince Arnold to turn off Helga's life support for a week, but he had refused saying she wasn't dead, she was still there, they didn't know her like he did. He'd barricaded himself in the room and refused to let anyone talk him out. Eventually a police officer had entered through the rooms window and wrestled him to the floor. A nurse cam in quickly and tranquilised the poor guy.

So on top of their youngest daughter being in a hospital bed, their son in law was also, but he had just been sleeping. He had awoken again, but refused to let them, and when they turned to Bob and Miriam they sided with their son in law.

"I think we should let her go," Olga had said. Neither Bob nor Miriam knew what to say when their eldest had said that. "You know how strong and independent Helga is. She wouldn't want to be living this way."

Arnold had banished her from the room.

…...

Meanwhile, Helga could hear everything going on in her room. Every now and then she could see it unfold as well. She could see her body lying on the bed. Her parents and friends coming and going and talking to her. Arnold. Apologising.

"I'm so sorry, Helga," he'd wept her second night there. "I tried to be her friend, and look what happened."

~Two Weeks Ago~

Arnold and Helga had attended his high school reunion. Helga had found emails and text messages he had sent and received from his old high school girlfriend, and had heard him say that he wondered how different his life would have been had he stayed with her. Helga had jumped to conclusions and left.

Arnold had come home the next day in an absolute rage.

"What the hell were you thinking?" he had demanded. "I come back and your gone!"

"I saw the emails, Arnold. The text messages to and from Clarissa!" she yelled back at him.

"Of course you did! We had to plan this reunion, Helga! All the captains of the various school groups from our senior year did!" he explained.

"Really? So you told all of them about our personal stuff? Our relationship? Our marriage? Our head-butting over schooling for our child and other personal information that is no business of theirs?" she asked.

Arnold sighed.

"No. I didn't. and in hindsight, I shouldn't have spoken about it to her, either," he said. "But I couldn't talk to you."

"Why not!?"

"Because you don't listen. Your never around to listen, and when you are, I'm not on your list of priorities!" he yelled. "I plan a night out, and you either don't show up, have to leave halfway through, or your on the phone the majority of the time! How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Then talk to Gerald!" she screamed. "He's your best friend. Better him then an ex girlfriend!"

"Gerald has his own problems right now" Arnold mumbled. "The point is, I shouldn't need to go to anyone else, Helga. I should be able to go to you!"

Helga took a sharp breath. She'd heard those words before. They were words she had once heard her mother spit at her father. Arnold didn't say it maliciously, like her mother had, but they hurt non the less.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Look, it was a mistake and a misunderstanding," Arnold said, coming forward and wrapping his arms around her.

"Why did you tell her that you had wondered about how different your life would have been if you had stayed with her?" Helga asked.

He shrugged.

"She asked, and I couldn't very well say , 'Nope, never,' now, could I?" he asked, smiling.

"Your too nice," she said, kissing him.

"So I'm forgiven?" he asked.

"Only if I am," she said with a smile.

~Present~

It had all gone hill from there. Clarissa wouldn't leave Arnold alone. She was texting, emailing, calling, and Arnold had finally gone to the police when she showed up in town, trying to take their son out of school. It terrified both of them, and Arnold was realising just how big a mistake he had made. One dumb sentence uttered to spare someone's feelings. And now, here she was, in a sleep she couldn't wake up from because the crazy bitch had attacked her. When she had fallen down the stairs, she'd made sure that her stomach wouldn't take any weight. She had a baby in her to protect. She hadn't even gotten a chance to tell Arnold they had a second child on the way. Was the baby okay? She should be worried, but didn't feel worried.

"You need to wake up, Helga," Arnold would say to her.

'I know Football Head! I'm trying!' she would scream out silently.

"Please, I cant live without you," he would whisper. "I don't want to."

'But you'd have too,' she thought. 'Arden can't look after himself'.

"Arden needs you, too," he whispered.

She heard it all, responded in her head, could even feel his lips on her forehead.

Wait. Had she always been able to feel that? She could "see" when he held her hand. She could feel . . . energy? His presence through his touch. But physically feel?

She was starting to feel less light, more heavy. She heard a rushing noise. It was almost like those times when you wake up, but can't move. She could feel her eyes twitching, her lips wobble.

"Helga?" she heard him say, but then it all went quiet again. Then she could hear more voices. People were talking around her. She could hear them, hear the words, but they didn't make sense.

She felt a hand on her shoulder, and her eye lid was pulled up, and a light shone into it. She flinched, and tried to move her eye away from the light. Then it happened with the other one.

Where was she? And why?

"She seems to be reacting to the light. This is good."

"Is she okay? So she's alive? She's going to wake up?"

"We'll see, but it looks promising."

What was going on? Why did they want her to wake up?

"Nurse, dim the lights a bit, so if she does open her eyes, it doesn't hurt her too much."

"Why would her eyes hurt?"

"They've been closed a couple weeks now."

A couple of weeks? Weeks? What had happened? She'd been asleep for a couple of weeks?

"I love you, Helga," a sweet male voice whispered. "So hurry up and open your eyes."

And slowly she did.


	29. The First Day!

(Inspired by a true story. Seriously, this was my day yesterday)

…..

Helga lay facedown on the bed bawling. This had been the worst day of her life! Ever! She swore it was true.

…

The day had started fine. She kissed her husband good-bye, the kids were in the living room watching TV and eating toast. Great! This would give her a chance to clean up the kitchen; wash dishes, sweep and mop. But first, to go over the kids rooms.

Neither had opened their cutains, so she did. Her eldest ones room? Fine. Her youngest ones? Not so fine. Reaching over to open his curtains she felt something squish between her toes.

"What the fu-" Poo. On her foot. She looked over to see her lovely son had taken off his nappy and then walked around pooing everywhere. He hadn't even stopped. And she had stood in some of it.

"Oh, God," she moaned hoping out of the room and into the bathroom. She pulled off the chunk still stuck to her foot with toilet paper and dropped it in the toilet, then washed her foot off under the faucet of the bath. Once it was clean and dried she left and went into the kitchen.

A whole loaf of bread was all over the floor, with obvious bite marks. Peanut butter was smeared on some, but the bread had broken and the knife was left on the floor.

"You can't be serious!" she yelled. She heard giggling coming from the living room, but decided to concentrate on this mess first.

Once that was done she checked on the boys who were watching cartoons. Dishes time!

Half-way through the dishes she heard a glass break. Rushing into the living room she saw her eldest sitting there staring at the broken glass.

"I didn't do it!" were the first words out of his mouth. Then he took off, his little brother trying to copy what he said as he followed.

Helga sighed and went and grabbed the broom to sweep it up, then the brush and pan set., and vaccume cleaner. She swept it up with the broom, then the brush and pan, then went over with the vaccume cleaner. Damn wooden floors! Damn Arnold for wanting to get new carpet in, but it not arriving yet! Bending down to get under the couch she felt a sharp pain in her knee.

"Fuuuuu!" she cried, looking down. Blood was gushing through her jeans. She carefully extracted the piece of glass she had missed. Even more blood gushed out. "Fuu!"

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a tea towel and sat down, holding it over her knee to help the bleeding stop.

"Mommy wipe my bum!" she heard.

Crap. They were in the bathroom! Alone! This could not end well. Getting up and making her way through the lounge she cursed and fell on the couch. She'd missed a piece of glass. But that was alright, because her heel had picked it up. She growled, and took it out. Now her knee AND her foot were bleeding. Not even on the same side.

"Mommy! Wiiiipe my buuuuuuuuuuum!" she heard once again. Sighing and getting up she followed the giggles and laughs to the bathroom, a feeling of dread coming over her. Two boy laughing in the bathroom was never a good sign. Especially her boys.

"What the hell Phillip!?" she yelled upon seeing what he had done. A new, but empty packet of baby wipes were on the floor next to the toilet. Looking in she saw they were in the toilet, along with a whole roll of toilet paper, two toilet paper rolls, and a sheet of stickers? What the hell? No way was any of this going to flush down. She sighed and looked in the drawers for gloves. She was going to have to remove some of it. None of it had poo on it though.

She found three gloves. All right handed.

"Where are the left handed ones?" she asked aloud. Sighing she resigned herself to the fact that she would need to use her right hand. This would be interesting considering habit.

Digging out all the wipes and toilet paper and cardboard rolls, the sticker sheet, she finally found the poo and . . . a rotten apple? Where the heck had they found a rotten apple and what was it doing in the toilet. Helga gagged. She'd disturbed the poo. But she had to get the apple out if she wanted to flush the toilet.

Grabbing it, it fell apart in her gloved hand. She looked up to see the toilet brush . . .

Grabbing it she mushed the poo and rotten apple together until it just looked like some horrible gross vomity mess, then she put some toilet paper in and flushed.

Smiling she closed up the bag full of wipes and rolls and sticker sheet and took it out to throw into the bin. Finally coming back inside she screamed.

The couch had peanut butter and toast crumbs over it, the cushions were on the floor, toast was all over the floor and juice was everywhere! The TV was blank.

"Mum I'm hungry!" SPLASH.

"Oh, no! My kitchen!" she yelled, running in and slipping over immediately in the milk. It was everywhere. "Ow ow ow!"

Her ankle. Oh, god, it hurt!

"Phillip get mommy the phone," she told him.

"No, I'm hungry!" he yelled at her.

"I don't flipping care, get me the goddamn phone. No!" she screamed at him. Instead he just walked out and left her sitting there in the milk.

"Your mean, mommy," he said.

"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Then she heard her youngest start to cry. She turned to see him howling because of her scream. He made his way towards her but slipped over too, hitting his head on the floor which made him scream even more. Helga crawled over to him and gave him a cuddle.

"It's okay, honey," she said, lifting him into her lap. He immediately started to pull at her top looking for boob. She'd only just managed to wean him off a month ago, at eighteen months. No way was he going to start this again.

The phone rang a couple of times, but she couldn't get to it, between her ankle and Robert in her lap. She started to cry then. After twenty minutes Robert got up and grabbed the phone.

"Ta for mommy," she said. "I'll call daddy if you give it to me."

"Daddy," he said coming back over and giving her the phone.

She quickly dialled Arnold's number and waited for him to answer.

"Hello?"

"My ankle is broken," she said.

"What? How did you break your ankle?" he asked. "I'll be home in a little bit, just stay where you are."

Helga laughed. She didn't think she would be going far.

"Daddy!" Robert screamed into the phone.

"Daddy's coming home," she told him, reaching out for him.

"No!" he yelled at her. "Smack smack!"

With that he took off.

"Ungrateful little urchins," she muttered. "No wonder my mom drank!"

Ten minutes later Arnold was by her side.

"Jesus, Helga, what happened to the house?" he asked, scooping her up in his arms and taking her out to the car.

"On the way," she gasped. God it hurt!

She sat waiting while Arnold got the kids together and strapped them into the car, then hopped in and took her to A&E.

…..

Helga's sister came to pick the kids up while she got a cast put on her ankle. She had broken it. Arnold stayed with her the whole time, holding her hand, kissing her cheek and mumbling to her.

She wanted to whack him. Hard.

Finally she was given crutches and a lesson on using them then sent out the door.

"So what happened today?" Arnold finally asked.

Helga told him everything. Every little detail.

He pulled into a McDonalds and they got dinner, then made their way home.

"I'm sorry, Helga," he said.

When they got home he took her up to bed and then went down to sort out the kids. Being alone she started to cry, the bawl.

What a horrible, horrible day! She couldn't wait for it to end!

"Hey, don't cry, I'm home tomorrow," Arnold said, sitting down on the bed and rubbing her back.

""Arnold, it's only the first day of a two week vacation!" she shouted at him. "The first day! And look what happened. Look! How are we going to survive?"

Arnold just gave her a smile.

"Babysitters."


End file.
